Tooth-Colored Fillings

There have been many advances in dental materials in the recent years, which offer clinicians increasingly new ways to create a more natural looking and aesthetically pleasing smile. Tooth-colored fillings have been available since the 1960s and have gone through decades-long work of research, development, and enhancements.

White fillings are plastic compounds that are made of powdered glass fillers in a plastic resin matrix. They are actually bonded to the enamel and dentin layer of teeth, which makes them stronger and more durable than traditional silver (amalgam) fillings. They also allow preservation of healthy tooth structure since they actually bond to teeth, whereas silver fillings require removal of more tooth structure for mechanical retention of the filling itself. Treating tooth decay with natural-looking tooth-colored fillings has virtually eliminated the need for silver fillings in our practice.